It’s common to want your job to give you a sense of meaning and purpose. When that isn’t happening, one solution is to redesign how you do your work.

Often unofficially, some people emphasize more of the tasks they enjoy, such as mentoring new hires or doing public speaking, and less of what they don’t like. Some people try fresh approaches to old tasks, while others break the monotony by deepening their relationships with clients or colleagues, according to research by Amy Wrzesniewski, a professor of organizational behavior at Yale University, and others.

There is an art to what is called job crafting so that it doesn’t backfire. Adding to your workload, for instance, can cause stress and burnout, while neglecting certain duties can stir conflict with bosses.

A few employers encourage workers to redesign their jobs. Computer-accessories maker Logitech Inc., in Newark, Calif., has been testing a job-crafting exercise developed by researchers at the University of Michigan with some employees and their managers, figuring out ways to rethink or rearrange job tasks and roles to make work more fulfilling.